Robert Kirkman: The Walking Dead Makes Us Better People — Do You Agree?

Is The Walking Dead good for the soul? You never hear any positive suggestions like that when there’s a violent tragedy and people start blaming TV shows like TWD, but comic book writer and executive producer Robert Kirkman says his baby is a good kid at heart.

"A lot of people think the show is bleak and depressing, but I can see where it's going in the next 10 years, and I think about it optimistically,” he told Rolling Stone. “Maybe it's going to make us better people by the end of it."

There’s light at the end of the tunnel! That does makes sense — the show isn’t really about survival via cool zombie kills with a high death count for the sake of shock value. It’s about the previous value of life, and the importance not just of staying alive but retaining our humanity and sense of community.

Speaking of bleak and depressing, though, The Powers That Be ended up cutting some scenes that would’ve shown how Atlanta became overrun with walkers. "It was going to be like Black Hawk Down, following an Army Ranger unit as the city succumbs to the zombie plague," production designer Gregory Melton told the mag. "That was thrown out due to cost."

We’re curious about the zombie apocalypse’s origins, but it’s not too surprising to see that cut from the show, since Kirkman previously told TVGuide.com he wasn’t interested in going there.

"In zombie fiction, you see the outbreak, you see the first days and the craziness in almost every other story told in this realm. I'm very proud of the fact that, for the most part, The Walking Dead has skipped over that part."

Maybe the spin-off will cover it. Anyway, our beloved Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) is on the new Rolling Stone cover, which has a lot more behind-the-scenes intel, so check it out.

The Walking Dead Season 4 premieres on October 13 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.